Adventure Time season 7 sneak peek, and a Marceline miniseries

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This year, the hit Cartoon Network series Adventure Time will be entering its seventh season. That means more adventures for everyone’s favorite boy-dog combo, Finn and Jake, but it also means a first for the series: an eight-episode miniseries focused on the vampiric Marceline.

Showrunner and executive producer Adam Muto took the stage at NYCC along with former Adventure Time artist and Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar. Also on hand were John DiMaggio, the voice of Jake the dog; Jeremy Shada, the voice of Finn the human; Olivia Olson, the voice of Marceline; Niki Yang, the voice of BMO; and Sugar’s diminutive banjolele.

Muto told the gathered audience in New York’s cavernous Hammerstein ballroom that season seven would begin on November 2. The new season continues where the previous left off: Princess Bubblegum has lost control of the Candy Kingdom to the King of Ooo, whose lust for treasure drives him to force Finn and Jake to open a suspicious looking door. Watching a clip, I got the feeling that whatever is on the other side of the door was meant to stay there. We’ll find out more in November.

The story of the vampire queen

The eight-episode miniseries, titled Stakes (as in, the thing to kill vampires), is slated to start on November 14. Muto said that the idea for a longer-form event came from the network, and the Adventure Time team took the opportunity to dig into the backstory of Marceline the vampire-demon and musical collaborator to Finn and Jake.

The new miniseries has a its own introduction and features a theme song sung by Olson. It’s a much darker, spookier opening, which fits well with a story focused on vampires. In the first two episodes that were screened at NYCC, we saw scenes from Marceline’s past as a vampire hunter, the origins of her powers, and her mother — as voiced by Sugar. Olson and Sugar share a duet in these episodes, which is sure to be a treat for fans. Muto also said that the duet between Marceline and her mother would return later in season seven. “Hopefully when it comes back it will have the weight behind it,” he said.

Muto said that the series would focus on Marceline’s past, but it was clear from the episodes we say that it wouldn’t be all flashbacks. Marceline’s story will also introduce new villains and consequences for the denizens of Ooo.

What else is coming

During an extended Q&A session, the cast and crew shed some light on what we might and might not see in future episodes. First up will be a holiday special featuring BMO, Finn’s sentient video game console and friend. Previously, BMO traveled to the factory of his birth and met his creator Mo. In this episode, Mo pays a visit to BMO in his new robotic body. Muto said that this would be a traditional Adventure Time holiday episode, with snow, sweaters, and emotions.

Though the Stakes miniseries will feature Princess Bubblegum and Marceline quite prominently, fans hoping to find out if the two shared a romantic relationship in the past may be disappointed. When answering a question from a fan about whether Bubble Gum and Marceline had ever been more than friends, Muto replied “I know what you’re asking, but we can’t talk about that here.”

“Is the arm drama over?” asked a fan, inquiring about how Finn lost his arm and had it replaced in previous seasons. “You sound like the network,” laughed Muto. “The arm he has now is sort of made of vegetable matter that thinks it’s a human arm. He never really got it back.”

On the subject of Finn’s mother, Muto said it was an idea that they were looking for the right time to explore. “The problem is that you can’t do all backstory because then you have no forward motion, but [introducing Finn’s mother] is an idea that we’re thinking of for season eight.”

Last season established the shiftless space con man Martin was Finn’s father — a reunion that caused more harm than good for our hero. The creators used Martin as an opportunity to explore the trauma of abuse and neglect from a nuanced perspective. Would Jake ever use his shapeshifting powers to go inside Finn? Maybe, said Muto, once they had run out of other tropes to use. How about a crossover with Steven Universe? The cast seemed cool to the idea, though Muto said that bringing back Sugar’s music for Stakes was something of a crossover.

Lastly, a fan asked if Fiona and Cake, the gender-swapped versions of Finn and Jake that have appeared in two episodes so far, would appear again. Muto said that it was always a possibility, and that the pair would have an episode in season seven.